Architect's Responsibilities within 1 year of Substantial Completion

Hi All,

We had a question come up in last Sunday’s workshop about what the architect’s responsibilities within 1 year of substantial completion are.

Per Article 3.6.6.5 of B101, the architect will agree to one meeting at the owner’s request within one year of substantial completion.

A201 Article 12.2.2 lays out the contractor’s obligation to correct work not found in accordance with the requirements of the Contract Documents within one year of substantial completion.

The question that came up during the workshop was if the architect had a responsibility to assist in the correction of work (through revising drawings, or providing details) if the defect found within one year of substantial completion was partially due to an error within the drawings.

The architect has no contractual obligations under B101 or A201. The thing to note in A201 article 12.2.2. is that the contractor is obligated to correct the work to meet the requirements of the Contract Documents. If the Contract Documents contain an error or omission that is causing the building’s issue it may be grounds for the owner to seek a claim against the architect.

Hope this helps!

-Darion

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